Carolina Freire is national director of health promotion for the Ministry of Health, Government of Panama. In this capacity, Freire develops and implements policies and programs related to promoting equity in access to health services, reducing health risks, and promoting healthy lifestyles, through education and community empowerment. Before joining the public sector, Freire worked for the Inter-American Development Bank’s External Relations Department in Washington, D.C. Between 2004 and 2008, Freire served as communications and programme officer at the Panama country offices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). She was part of a United Nations team of facilitators that conducted two dialogue efforts that resulted in the reform of the social security system and the design of a national development plan. Freire has authored academic papers on education reform, gender and education, consensus building, and institutional strengthening. Freire attended Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, majoring in international politics. She earned her Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. She lives in Panama City with her husband and daughter.